


Green, Red, and Blue

by maroonweb



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Blood and Injury, Canon-Typical Violence, Cherry-Picking Canon, Fire, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Identity Reveal, Intern Peter Parker, Kidnapping, May Parker (Spider-Man) & Tony Stark Coparenting Peter Parker, Not Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant, Not Captain America: Civil War (Movie) Compliant, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:47:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28282680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maroonweb/pseuds/maroonweb
Summary: One lab caught his attention, a small kid with curly brown hair and brown eyes stared at Tony through the window."What the hell?" He asked before realizing he looked familiar and remembered his conversation with Pepper about the new interns.Tony gave a small wave and the kid, Peter he remembered, blushed before turning back to his work."Oh hell no." Tony Stark was not to be ignored. Especially not by children."Fri, open lab 207."
Relationships: May Parker (Spider-Man) & Tony Stark, Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 28
Kudos: 600





	1. Mr. Parker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Mr. Parker. His essay on a compound involving carbon nanotubes in the medical industry blew the committee away. His age was a concern, but he'll be 14 when he officially starts."
> 
> "Carbon nanotubes, huh? And Queens. Too many coincidences. Fri, be a dear, and pull up Parker's family."

"Dear Mr. Parker," May read aloud excitedly to her nephew. 

"We are delighted to inform you that the September Foundation Committee has admitted you to the first Stark Industries internship cohort for students in secondary education." 

Peter pulled at a loose thread on the beat-up sofa and tried not to let his inner turmoil show. 

"Peter!" May admonished, brushing Peter's curls behind his ear. "Why aren't you more excited?" 

"I am excited. I just..." Peter tried to find the right words that wouldn't offend his gaurdian. "I'm just not sure if right now is a good time." 

"Oh Peter," May pulled him into a hug. "I miss Ben, too." 

Peter felt a little guilty, his uncle hadn't exactly been at the top of his list of concerns. A majority of them had actually been about money: there was his part-time job at the deli, the rising rent in Queens, the family income diminishing from two to one, Midtown books and supplies (thankfully his scholarship covered tuition)... the list went on and on. 

"Or is this about the adult stuff?" His aunt pulled back, her ability to read him a little scary. 

"Peter. I told you that we're fine. We'll talk to Mr. Del-Mar this weekend about your hours, this was supposed to be a fun summer gig and you're much too young to be working for anything other than tickets to a movie with Ned. Although, I would prefer you let me know when you're going to the Leeds rather than sneaking out." 

Oh. There was also the whole Spider-Manning gig to balance on top of starting high school and the possible new internship. 

"I'm sorry May, I meant to tell you." 

"I know, I just get nervous. The Bugle mentioned rising crime rates and I want you to be safe. Now, let's find the safest route from Midtown to to the Stark building."  
___ 

"Pep, why are they so small?" 

"Publicity. The more kid-friendly SI becomes, the higher our stocks go up. Why are you so concerned anyway? You'll see them twice a year." 

"Two times too many," Tony swiped through the new intern profiles. 

16... 16... 17... 13?! 

"Shit Pep, talk about kid-friendly. This one is literally a baby." 

"Mr. Parker. His essay on a compound involving carbon nanotubes in the medical industry blew the committee away. His age was a concern, but he'll be 14 when he officially starts." 

"Carbon nanotubes, huh? And Queens. Too many coincidences. Fri, be a dear, and pull up Parker's family." 

"Yes, boss." 

Pepper Potts rolled her eyes, "If this is about your sudden obsession with webs, I already looked into it. I have to admit, it was part of the reason I suggested him." 

F.R.I.D.A.Y. followed, "Parents Mary and Richard Parker, deceased. Uncle Benjamin Parker, deceased. His aunt, May Parker is Peter's last remaining relative, a nurse at St. Mary's." 

"Damn. Any particular reason a child is writing papers on a topic we pay our directors to research?" 

"If it weren't for child labor laws, I'm sure you'd make him one. His parents were OsCorp employees." 

"Ah, part of our favorite arachnid research team. Same dead end. Smart kid, unfortunate circumstances." 

"I'm glad you approve. Now, can I work in peace?" 

"You still haven't said yes to dinner at my place," the billionaire wiggled his eyes suggestively. 

"Tony, we live together."


	2. Peter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Kid, Pete, buddy c'mon. That shirt, that idea, do you know how hard it is not to immediately call you out on your nerdiness?" 
> 
> "Says the man who suggested we make matching ghostbuster outfits." 
> 
> "You mock me, but I'll be the one laughing when I'm prepared for the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man." 
> 
> "... and you can't be prepared as Iron Man?" 
> 
> "Iron Man doesn't own a proton pack."

Iron Man scrutinized Queens' horizon. His target, the city's very own web-headed resident, seemed to be cutting hours and was becoming even more elusive than usual. His visit also served as a warning, as Tony wasn't the only bounty hunter out that week. A cartoonish villain by the name of Green Goblin had been terrorizing the city for reasons unknown, although his damage had been minimal. 

Tony would be lying if he said the Halloween psychopath didn't give him the heeby jeebies a little. If Spider-Man didn't seem to have a handle on it, Tony would have seen to the pumpkin king as his next pet project but he had bigger fish to fry. 

Fish named Steve Rogers and Thaddeus Ross. Fish that gave Tony migraines. He considered heading home for a much needed drink, but decided throwing himself into work would be a better distraction. Besides, Rhodey's suit needed upgrades after the airport incident. 

Iron Man launched towards SI, then down to the lobby for a quick detour to borrow a few supplies from his employees. He'd give them a bonus, or something, later as thanks. He stepped out of his suit, gave the controls to F.R.I.D.A.Y., and entered the lobby. 

"Mr. Stark, sir, what an honor, wow!" The front desk attendant breathed, star struck. "Welcome!" 

"Yes, visiting the tower with my name on it, what a shock," Tony muttered as he brushed through security. Except, it was rare to see Tony Stark on any floor below fifty, he couldn't remember the last time he actually stepped into the lobby. Was it Loki's arrest? 

Also, why was it so empty? There were a few engineers and scientists roaming the lower levels, but only two or three labs seemed in use. 

One lab caught his attention, a small kid with curly brown hair and brown eyes stared at Tony through the window. 

"What the hell?" He asked before realizing he looked familiar and remembered his conversation with Pepper. 

Tony gave a small wave and the kid, Peter he remembered, blushed before turning back to his work. 

"Oh hell no." Tony Stark was not to be ignored. Especially not by children. 

"Fri, open lab 207."  
___ 

"Payton, right?" 

Peter looked up from the brace he had been working on. Afraid to speak to the superhero, he simply jerked his head towards the name plate at his station: Peter. 

"You're one of the new baby interns?" 

Peter nodded. Finding his voice, he spoke up, "Three weeks ago, Mr. Stark, sir." 

Tony hesitated before continuing, "You alright kid? You look tired." 

Peter was exhausted, between robotics club, academic decathlon, Spider-Man, and this internship, he was beginning to think he was biting off more than he could chew. 

"Come to think of it, shouldn't you be in school right now?" 

"It's Saturday, Mr. Stark," Peter tried not to sound too amused. 

"Ew. Why are you here? Shouldn't you be hanging out with friends?" 

"Ned's out of town and I get more done without the other interns," he shrugged. 

"Ah," Tony sympathized. "The youngest genius in a room full of geniuses. I'm familiar. Wouldn't recommend MIT before turning 18. Is that a brace?" 

"Yeah, I've been trying to figure out how to apply nanotubes to orthotics, but I think they work better as an adhesive to dress wounds." 

"Tell me more." 

And that was how Tony Stark found himself spending the rest of his afternoon with an impressive 14-year-old.  
____ 

"Can we keep him?" Tony asked Pepper after the fourth Saturday he and Peter worked together. Sometimes they worked on Peter's projects, sometimes Tony's. The kid was incredibly insightful and actually helped Tony verbally process through his own challenges. 

"Tony, I think his guardian may have an issue with us kidnapping him. Also, why does it not surprise me that you've managed to bond with another high school student?" 

"Hey! He's very mature for his age. Don't tell him I said that." 

"Hmmm... I'd like to meet him before pseudo-adopting another kid." 

"You love Harley." 

"Harley's a good kid," Pepper agreed. "And I love Angela. It might be nice to have another wine night with someone who lives a bit closer than Tennessee." 

"We could invite May and Peter to dinner. I've been meaning to ask her if we can move him to a more advanced floor, those other teens are mean." 

"To Peter?!" 

"To me." 

"Iron Man, are you afraid of children?" 

"Those aren't children, they're demons. Pep, I tried to visit last Thursday and the girl told me I looked like a Walmart version of Tony Stark. Pep, stop laughing at me."  
___ 

Peter was struggling and his aunt wasn't helping.

"Peter! We're going to be late!" May knocked on the bathroom door. 

"Just a second," Peter winced as he used his webs to cover a particular nasty wound the Goblin had gifted to him. 

He rolled up his bloody spandex and shoved them into a grocery bag, then into his backpack. He threw on a science-themed t-shirt ("What do you call acid with an attitude? A-mean-o acid.") and checked himself in the mirror. Unsure if the stench of blood was detectable to the average human, he eyed his aunt's least favorite body spray. 

A little Axe never hurt anyone, he thought, giving the bottle a quick squeeze. 

"Peter!" 

"Coming!" 

May dragged him down to an inconspicuous silver vehicle, "I am so sorry, Mr. Hogan!" 

"Oh this is nothing Ms. Parker. Your late is Tony's early." 

"Please, call me May." 

"Happy," the man responded. "I mean I'm Happy. My name is Happy." 

May smiled, then turned to Peter, "I could have sworn I threw the Axe away." 

Peter rubbed his neck sheepishly.  
____

The Stark's were warm and welcoming when the Parker's arrived. 

May instantly clicked with Pepper over a bottle of Chardonnay while Tony and Peter bantered back and forth about their first joint project. 

"OK, but hear me out, a lightsaber that actually works." 

"Kid, Pete, buddy c'mon. That shirt, that idea, do you know how hard it is not to immediately call you out on your nerdiness?" 

"Says the man who suggested we make matching ghostbuster outfits." 

"You mock me, but I'll be the one laughing when I'm prepared for the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man." 

"... and you can't be prepared as Iron Man?" 

"Iron Man doesn't own a proton pack." 

Tony's phone rang, "Ah shit, snap, ignore me. I've got to take this or the government will be at my door in a minute thinking I'm hiding Rogers." 

Peter waved him off, turning his attention to his phone and listening in on the conversation happening from the kitchen. 

"Thank you, May, I'm incredibly grateful for you getting to know us personally. Tony's relationships are a bit unorthodox at times, but I wanted to assure you that he means well as a mentor and he'd never let anything happen to Peter on his watch." 

"I'll admit I haven't been the biggest fan of Tony's over the years, but he's definitely changed or at least the media's portrayal has. Not to mention he's sacrificed so much. But.. I hope I'm not overstepping as a guest, you two are still virtually strangers..." 

"Oh not at all! That's actually what we wanted to talk to you about. Tony would like to continue to mentor Peter personally, but we'd love to invite you both over on a weekly basis to help you feel more comfortable." 

"Pepper, that is incredibly thoughtful! But we would never want to exceed our welcome." 

"Please, this is the first time I've had fun in months. Of course, knowing Tony comes with it's own risks so take your time coming to a decision."


	3. Pete

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Goblin giggled as he sped away from the disaster he'd caused, throwing one last bomb at Peter who was setting the girl down to safety. 
> 
> "Hold on!" Spider-Man embraced the little girl in an attempt to shield her from the blast. 
> 
> Pain enveloped his body, with it's focal point at his shoulder. Spider-Man grit his teeth, stumbling to make his next move. He threw himself around two of the falling buildings, throwing web after web to support the structures long enough for civilians to escape.

May had agreed to the weekly visits, which enabled Peter and Tony to work on the lightsaber and other ridiculous projects while the two women vented over coffee or wine, depending on the time of day. 

Peter found that hiding Spider-Man had become immensely difficult with the addition of the three adults- Happy, Pepper, and Tony- in his life. 

Although, things got easier in other ways: May's job offered her a raise after an anonymous donation came in for the staff, the apartment building's owner changed and they were suspiciously generous towards the Parkers. 

Peter wasn't too happy about the upgraded security, however, and found that swinging around the city had to be reserved to weekends when he was with "Ned" or "MJ" and during "robotics" which he had dropped for his vigilante hobby. 

He did get a little more sleep, though, so he couldn't complain too much. 

Plus, it felt like he had a whole family again by January. Including the teasing, whether they knew it was him or not. 

"So you didn't like that he wrapped everything up nice for you with Toomes, sign and all?" 

"All I'm saying is that it would have been nice to thank Spider-Man in person. Without the mask." 

"What, so you could demand he join the New Avengers?" 

"Mmm... no, the Iron League." 

"Careful Tony, your ego is showing." 

"May!" 

"Pete, you're awfully quiet tonight," Happy observed. 

"Pete's not a fan of our vigilante." 

"I just think he could be doing more," Peter shrugged. 

"Exactly! In the Iron League." 

Pepper rolled her eyes. 

"Well I guess he saved my ass and Happy's job, so I can't complain," Tony continued. "And Pep, you're my VP as Rescue, stop making fun of our team." 

"You forget, sweetheart, I can't be on the team if I'm on pregnancy leave," Pepper grinned mischievously. 

Silverware clattered around the table at the news. 

"Tony!" 

"Pepper!" 

"Pregnant?!" 

Tony beamed. "I thought we were waiting until next week to share with the class."  
___ 

"You really think Tony and Pepper will keep inviting us with the baby?" Peter asked his aunt over breakfast one March morning. 

"Kid, you've got Tony Stark wrapped around your finger. If anything, you'll be over more often as their go-to babysitter." 

Peter pushed a sausage around with his fork. "I just don't want it to turn into another Harry situation." 

"Honey, you can still reach out to Harry. Although I'm not sure how well Tony will take you fraternizing with the enemy," she grinned. "If you're that concerned, talk to Tony and don't hold back." 

Peter blanched at the thought of sharing everything with the superhero, including his own alter ego. 

"Ew feelings. On that note, I'm going to Ned's," he said disposing of his plate and grabbing his backpack. 

"Larb you!" 

"Larb you too!" 

He darted out of the building and quickly found a private spot to change in the red and blue spandex. He hid his backpack and shot a web at a corner across the street to swing through the city. 

The first sign of trouble was a cat stuck in a tree. 

His second case was a woman who had lost her kid (they found him in a candy store across the street). 

The third was a cackling lunatic who had a grudge against Spider-Man. 

"Gobby! Long time no see," Spider-Man launched a web at the hover board, missing ever so slightly. 

"Ah ah ah," the Green Goblin pulled his lips back in a sickly smile. "I want to play a short game today." 

He dived low and grabbed a small victim, Spider-Man chasing after him. Goblin launched into the air and dropped the child. 

Recognizing the play as a distraction, Peter could do nothing but fall for it as he swung to save the little girl. 

The villain took advantage of Spider-Man's heroism to launch his next attack, throwing bombs at three skyscrapers. 

Goblin giggled as he sped away from the disaster he'd caused, throwing one last bomb at Peter who was setting the girl down to safety. 

"Hold on!" Spider-Man embraced the little girl in an attempt to shield her from the blast. 

Pain enveloped his body, with it's focal point at his shoulder. Spider-Man grit his teeth, stumbling to make his next move. He threw himself around two of the falling buildings, throwing web after web to support the structures long enough for civilians to escape. 

He moved to save the third one, but his shoulder finally gave out and he crashed to the ground where the unstable building loomed threateningly over him. 

Peter closed his eyes, accepting his fate, and prepared for impact before he heard thrusters above the screaming and chaos.  



	4. Bambino

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I just don't understand why I can't get the web-head to talk to me." 
> 
> Peter contemplated Tony's statement. "Maybe he doesn't talk to anyone. Maybe he's been doing this alone for so long, he doesn't know how else to do it."

Tony and Happy were hoping to surprise May and Peter with a quick lunch in Queens when he received a frantic call from May about a Green Goblin sighting near Peter's best friend's apartment. 

Tony asked Happy to pull over, before donning his nanotech armor, and sending Happy off to take care of their family friend. 

The sight that greeted Iron Man was disturbing. Buildings were precariously being held up by the most webbing Tony had ever seen. Hundreds of people were screaming and fleeing. 

He flew over to the building that required the most immediate attention. It was about to crush their Friendly Neighborhood Spider. 

"Fri..." 

"You will delay collapse by approximately 8 minutes if you support the structure at the beam forty feet above your current position at full thrust, maximizing the escape time for the occupants." 

"Yes ma'am." 

By the time Tony had helped everyone escape and had a minute to spare, the small crater Spider-Man had indented into the asphalt was empty. 

He called May. 

"Have you gotten a hold of Peter?" 

"No," May cried, "And Mrs. Leeds said he never arrived." 

"May, we cleared the scene. He's okay, I promise." 

Silence. 

"Alright, boss," Happy took the phone. "Update us as soon as you can." 

Tony searched the surrounding area, pulling up street cams and Peter's phone location before he narrowed it down to one block. 

"Peter?" He called softly down a back alley. His heart dropped at the sight of Peter's backpack, strewn halphazardly. "Pete!" 

"Mr. Stark?" Peter's head popped out of the dumpster at the back of the alleyway. 

"Oh thank God," Tony leaned on the wall next to him. "Pete, bambino, have mercy. You know I have a heart condition." 

"What do you mean, Mr. Stark? Is everything okay?" Peter frowned. 

"Yeah, yeah. Give your aunt a call for me. There's a situation by Ted's and she was concerned. Why are you in a dumpster?" 

"Oh, uhm, computer parts," Peter held up a keyboard. "It's a hobby." 

"Well get a new hobby. One where you can answer your worried aunt's phone calls. And is that dirt? Pete, we're finding you a cleaner hobby- it's called showering." 

Peter just grinned and Tony's heart melted. "Alright kid, we're having impromptu dinner tonight. Go hug your aunt, wait no, shower and then hug your aunt, then come over." 

"Sounds good Mr. Stark, see you in a few hours!" He waved after the man.  
___ 

Peter collapsed back into the dumpster and took a deep breath, pulling off his t-shirt before blood noticeably soaked through. 

"That was way too close," he muttered to himself. His spandex was still on, the top scrunched to his waist. 

He called May and assured her that he was fine, he had just stopped to dumpster dive for some spare parts before heading over to surprise Ned. 

"May, can I please stay out for another hour? There's so many good finds!" He tried to communicate doe eyes through the phone. 

"Alright, alright, only since this is the last time I let you out of my sight until you're 30." 

Peter laughed, "Mayyy. I love you." 

"I love you too, sweetheart. One hour." 

"One hour," he hung up the phone. He set an alarm for 55 minutes, hid the suit, and passed out in hopes that his body would heal the worst of his wounds before dinner.  
___

"Am I scary?" Tony paused their Lord of the Rings movie marathon. 

"Nope," Peter popped the 'p'. "Why?" 

"I just don't understand why I can't get the web-head to talk to me." 

Peter contemplated Tony's statement. "Maybe he doesn't talk to anyone. Maybe he's been doing this alone for so long, he doesn't know how else to do it." 

"That's inefficient. Just look at Frodo. It's not like he could carry the ring to Mordor by himself." 

"... are you saying you want to be Spider-Man's Sam? Because at best you're a Gandalf, being an old man and all." 

"Respect your elders, bambi."  
___ 

Morgan Maria Stark was born on June 8th, 2018 and she was the most beautiful thing Peter had ever seen. 

May had predicted correctly that Peter would be over more often, giving the tired new parents a break as often as possible. He held Morgan close as they watched Star Wars, he whispered details about the scenes while she babbled and then napped happily. Pepper and Tony were curled up on the adjacent couch catching up on a few minutes of sleep. 

The entrance elevator dinged, May and Happy walking in with takeout. 

The sleeping couple jerked awake, still looking like zombies and Peter groaned, "I just got them to sleep!" 

"Them?" Happy asked confused. 

"Yeah! Them," Peter nodded his head to the groggy couple. 

"No, no," Tony yawned. "I should get up, this Goblin business is getting out of control and Ross is on my case about him being a possible mutant." 

"What about Spider-Man?" 

"He's had his chance. He's just lucky I told Secretary Asshat I'm not bringing bug-boy in." 

Peter paled. "They want Spider-Man too?" 

"Sure, he's a wild card that causes property damage and reckless endangerment. He does good work, but the lack of accountability makes people nervous." 

Peter hummed, focusing his attention back to baby Morgan. 

Tony left the room, leaving Peter to ruminate on his words.  
____

Peter, worried for the health and safety of his pseudo-father figure, threw himself into Queens on a daily basis, trying to drag the Green Goblin out to deal with him once and for all.

One particular night, he found himself out late. Wanting to avoid giving May another panic attack, he found a new alley close to home to change out of his spandex.

He made a mistake that night, too exhausted to pay attention to much of his surroundings before going home and throwing himself into bed.

Hours later, Peter's senses screamed, waking him up in the middle of the night with a jolt. 

A soft voice sang outside his window, carrying closer with each note, "The itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout, down came the rain," inhuman eyes moved within view, claw-like nails tapped on the glass. "And washed the spider out."


	5. My Kid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Mayflower is right. I've said too much," the goblin paused and Peter felt a pinch on his chest. His entire body fell limp and the last thing he heard was an explosion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: burn survivor. Ya'll are amazing. I purposefully kept it vague since I am neither an expert nor a survivor myself.

May woke with a start at the sound of glass shattering. Heart racing, she grabbed the pistol from her bedside table and listened to find the source of the break-in. 

Nothing happened for a moment, then a thud and a crash from across the hall. 

"Peter!" A feeling of ice gripped May's heart. Forgoing stealth, she sprinted to Peter's room and entered to see the last intruder she expected to find. 

The Green Goblin had her nephew pinned to a wall beside a fallen dresser. Peter's hands were prying at the Goblin's talons nearly succeeding, before he froze at May. 

The green demon followed Peter's line of sight and his eyes gleamed when he spotted the young woman aiming a gun. 

"Ah ah ah, Ms. Mayflower. You pull that trigger and I'll pop his head off like a ragdoll," the goblin growled at the end. 

Peter watched as a myriad of emotions flitted across May's face- confusion, determination, fear, and then resignation. She lowered her weapon. 

"Let her go," Peter's voice trembled more than than he would've liked to admit. 

"You're not in a position to be making demands little boy," the Green Goblin responded snidely, more serious than usual. He tightened his grip on Peter causing the rivulets of blood to thicken as they streamed down the sides of his neck. 

Peter struggled to lessen the pressure before speaking again, "Let her go and I'll go without a fight. Easy peasy." 

"No! Peter!" 

"Mayflower is right. I've said too much," the goblin paused and Peter felt a pinch on his chest. His entire body fell limp and the last thing he heard was an explosion.  
____ 

Tony watched the security footage over and over and over again. 

He heard his wife enter after two hours of watching the Green Goblin enter the Parker residence and leave it in a blaze with Peter over his shoulder. 

"Anything?" Pepper asked. 

"Nothing," the word burned his tongue. "The employees couldn't give me anything. I should have added more. I should have done more to keep them safe." 

"Tony, if you hadn't had F.R.I.D.A.Y. alert you at the first sign of trouble, May Parker wouldn't have survived." 

"May Parker wouldn't be covered in burns if it weren't for me. How is she?" 

"She'll be okay. Dr. Cho says she will most likely have her awake within two weeks." 

"I'm not sure we have two weeks," he said, turning back to the footage.  
___ 

Peter couldn't feel much, at least physically. He had lost pints upon pints of blood, could only feel cold metal, and he couldn't sense anything. At first he'd thought his powers had diminished, but then he'd realized they were also likely miles away from anything. Away from people, cars, trees, and birds. Which meant they were underground. 

Emotionally, he felt angry. He'd never been so angry in his life. He was angry at himself for allowing Green Goblin to track him, at May for waking up to only get herself killed, and at the Green Goblin for murdering the only family he had left. 

He let that anger fester with each cold meal, every blood transfusion, and each lab test. 

Peter allowed his "handlers" to believe the Goblin had destroyed his will to live when, in reality, he found it in his desire to end the Green Goblin for good. 

Unfortunately, the villain never seemed to visit. So instead he focused on replaying the last few moments with May in his head, trying to figure out why the interaction felt off... 

A week into captivity it clicked- Mayflower. It could have been dumb luck, but a handful of people had actually used it on May. There was Ben, but he'd stopped using it when his parents... 

His parents had used it often, specifically his mom. It was was one of the only memories he'd had. 

The last time he'd heard his mother use it was his 8th birthday party. It was a small affair. There had been his parents, May, Ben, Ned, Harry, and... 

I've said too much. 

"Norman Osborn." 

One of his handlers turned and carefully removed their respirator to reveal the very man himself. His appearance was just as Peter remembered the cold man nearly seven years ago and remarkably less green. 

"I was beginning to wonder if you'd get it. I'd say it's nothing personal, but this is about as personal as it gets. None of this would have happened if your parents had simply given me the formula they had created. You would still have your family and I would finally have the power of a god," Norman paused to allow the implications to sink in. 

Peter looked towards the wall of his enclosure, not wanting to give Norman the satisfaction of seeing his reaction. 

"I've been wondering... why on Earth would Maria and Richard experiment on their son?" 

Peter remained silent. 

"But you see, I reviewed footage of your last visit to OsCorp with Harry. I wanted to see if I could find an indication of transformation like me. Your abilities are a bit more permanent it seems, the exact replica of what we were looking for," Norman continued his monologue. "And then the strangest thing happened at the end of your visit. It appeared you were bit by Specimen 43." 

Peter's hand clenched. 

Norman smiled at the confirmation, "And then Spider-Man was born."  
___ 

"Norman Osborn," May whispered painfully. 

Pepper was at her bedside immediately. "May, I'm so sorry, we never meant-" 

"It's Norman Osborn," her breath rattled as she cut her closest friend off. "Mayflower. Maria. Norman is the only one. How... how... long?" 

"F.R.I.D.A.Y tell Tony to look into Norman Osborn. He may have our kid," she turned back to May. "Two weeks. You've been in and out. Tony has been ripping New York apart looking for Peter." 

"Two weeks," May croaked. A tear slipped down her bandaged face. "Tomorrow is his birthday." 

Pepper felt helpless, only able to stroke the unharmed skin next to May's ear in comfort.  
___ 

Osborn didn't appear as Peter's lab technician for another week. Peter wasn't sure if that was because things were a little awkward or if Norman was just a busy man. Probably the latter. 

He focused on the technicians and watched for patterns. He had only figured out one- he received food at night and a sedative in the morning to ensure they could manage him at his weakest point. 

So he carefully watched the security cams and came up with a plan. 

Peter couldn't do anything about the sedative yet, but he could save the food in hopes that it would be enough energy before the sedative to execute Operation Jailbreak. 

So he ate a little and then pretended to fall asleep with the food hidden beneath him.  
____ 

Tony didn't think he could despise Norman Osborn any more than he already did. On top of possibly kidnapping his kid, he had the audacity to turn Tony Stark down for a meeting. Three times. 

So he didn't take no for an answer. 

"I have a meeting with your boss," Tony strolled up to the receptionist in front of Norman's office. 

"He's out of office today, Mr. Stark," the man at the desk said unimpressed, continuing to type. 

"Bullshit. Tell your boss I want my kid. I don't know what his play is, but I assure you I will not hesitate to tattle tale on his extracurriculars to Thaddeus Ross." 

The typing stopped. "One moment, sir."  
___ 

When morning came, Peter ate the rest of his food and mustered up his strength. 

The technician came with the sedative and opened Peter's enclosure to administer the dose. 

Right before he injected into Peter's arm, Peter kicked into Spider-Man mode and pinned the unsuspecting researcher down. 

"Sorry!" He apologized before taking the sedative and injecting the man with just enough, he hoped, to knock him out. There was only one life he planned on taking. 

He removed the man's clothing and dragged him to the retinal scanner to enter the hall and then the next room. 

Three more researchers stood in his way to the elevator, but his web shooters lay waiting for him on the nearest desk.  
___ 

"I'm honored to be graced by your presence, Mr. Stark, but I'm afraid I have nothing to do with the disappearance of your daughter." 

Tony deflated internally, this was their only lead. If Norman Osborn wasn't using Peter as a bargaining chip to get to Iron Man, then someone else was and the fact that no one was coming forward to do so concerned Tony greatly about Peter's well-being. 

"I am, however, intrigued to know what you may think my extracurriculars are. As you know, some rules must be bent in the name of science and I'd rather not have the government breathing down my neck with their red tape and regulations." 

An alarm blared before Tony could respond. 

Norman paled considerably and turned to Tony, "I'm afraid you'll have to excuse me, one of our more dangerous specimens has appeared to escape their enclosure." 

"I'm more than happy to assist to apologize for my accusations." 

"No, no that won't be necessary. It's a very fragile organism, our trained specialists should be able to reign him in." 

"Him?" 

"It, I mean. Slip of the tongue. Goodbye, Mr-" 

The door to the office clicked open. Peter Parker stepped in, dressed in an oversized lab outfit and armed with a gun.


	6. Spider-Man

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: burn survivor. Ya'll are amazing. I purposefully kept it vague since I am neither an expert nor a survivor myself.

"Mr. Parker! Welcome, let me introduce you to-" 

"Pete?!" 

"Mr. Stark," Peter sighed tiredly. "What are you doing here?" 

"Looking for you, bud. I must say I'm a little confused. Want to catch me up to speed?" 

"Wait, Parker is your kid?" 

Peter aimed the gun at Norman. 

"Woah, woah, woah. Hold on, kid. What's going on?" 

Norman lifted his hands up in a half surrender, "I didn't think this was your style." 

"It wasn't. It isn't. But you took my parents." Peter spat angrily, "You killed May." 

"Hold on, May is good. Recovering, but good. Can we all just sit and chat? I feel like I'm missing something here." 

Norman cackled, "You mean Tony Stark doesn't know? You came all this way for a boy who doesn't even care to tell you the truth. You don't even know him." 

"I do know him. I know you, bambino. So put the gun down and we'll figure this puzzle out together like we always do." 

Peter looked towards Tony, desperate for something. Finally, after what felt like hours, Peter found what he was looking for and put the weapon down. Tony frowned as he did, noticing dents in the grip that should not have been there. 

"Should have taken your shot, Spider-Boy," Norman's face bubbled grotesquely and turned a familiar green hue. He launched himself at Peter. 

"Fri!" Tony moved through the shock as the last Peter-shaped puzzle piece clicked into place with his armor. "Get me Iron Spider, now!" 

"If I don't get your powers, no one does!" 

The maniac had barely begun his assault on Peter before Iron Man ripped the unusually large goblin off and threw him through several office walls. 

"Stay away from my Spider-Kid," Tony shot a repulsor after him for emphasis, careful to avoid fleeing employees. 

Tony looked back at Peter, who had climbed up into a corner in an attempt to get away from his assailant. 

"You okay, bambino?" 

Peter nodded, eyes wary. 

"I thought we talked about hobbies. Nice, safe hobbies that my poor heart can take." 

"It's cleaner than dumpster diving," Peter smiled. 

"Yeah, well I'm gonna bench yo-" 

Tony was interrupted by a flying pumpkin bomb, he went to shoot it but Peter was faster. A web caught the bomb and sent it crashing through the nearest window, minimizing damage when it exploded outside. 

The Green Goblin barreled back in, stronger and faster than ever. He attempted to take another swipe at Peter but Iron Man wouldn't let him. The two men were surprisingly matched, as Norman fought like he had nothing to lose and Tony fought like he had everything to lose, constantly on the defensive for Peter and the remaining employees. 

One misplaced bomb and the whole tower was at risk. 

"This is not a drill," a female alarm droned. "For your safety, please find your nearest emergency exit." 

"Mother says we should really take this outside," Tony broke the glass behind them. "Oh look, an exit." 

Iron Man dragged his foe to the sky with his thrusters. 

The Green Goblin hissed, breaking a thruster and then out of Tony's grip, falling a few stories before landing on an awaiting hoverboard. Unfortunately, this left him closer to an exhausted Peter than the spiraling Iron Man. 

Time moved slowly as the villain seized his opportunity to make a move against Peter. Peter looked towards the fleeing occupants of the tower and then at the arriving media vans and helicopters. He quickly made a decision, climbing the tower, not as Spider-Man, but as Peter Parker. 

"Oh for fuck's sake, kid. Fri, ETA on Iron Spider?" Tony regained balance with his gauntlets. 

"Two minutes and thirty seconds." 

"Not soon enough. Disengage helmet and send it to Peter fast. Hopefully it's not too late." 

If Peter was surprised to find the helmet on his head as he webbed himself up, he didn't show it. He barely made it to the top before the goblin crashed into him. 

Peter took advantage of the unbalanced monster to grab the hoverboard and snap it in half. 

Tony held his breath watching the fight, fearful for Peter and angry with his slow progress to the top of the skyscraper. Right before his arrival, the Green Goblin embraced Peter and cackled as he launched both of them towards the ground a thousand feet below. 

"Peter!" Tony's heart stopped. He sprinted to the edge and looked over to see Iron Spider clinging to the side of the building and the Green Goblin alone in his shallow concrete grave. 

Tony's helmet hovered back to him and he turned on his comms. 

"Iron Man to Spider-Baby, can you hear me?" 

"It's Spider-Man, over." 

"Welcome to the Junior Iron League." 

"Junior?! You made me a full-blown Iron League suit." 

"I made Spider-Man a suit. Peter Parker's suit is going to be made out of bubble wrap, sunshine, and rainbows." 

Peter laughed weakly. "Hey Mr. Stark? I think I'm about to pass out." 

"F.R.I.D.A.Y. take controls of Iron Spider and take bambino to the Med-Bay."  
____ 

"Dr. Cho said he's fine, Tony." 

"Then why hasn't he woken up?" 

"He's exhausted, his metabolism is playing catch up after the last three weeks. Don't rush him." 

Peter blinked blearily, seeing Pepper at the doorway to his room and Tony holding a sleeping Morgan on a chair in front of his bed. 

He wanted to say something funny, to go back to normal as quickly as possible, but the first thing that came out was- 

"I'm sorry." 

"Woah, hey, no need to apologize for sleeping kiddo," Tony handed Morgan to Pepper and walked over to Peter's bedside. 

"No, I'm sorry for not telling you about Spider-Man," Peter choked back a sob. "I wanted to, I wanted to so badly, I just-" 

"Deep breaths, Pete. I'm not mad, no one is mad. We're just happy you're okay. We can talk groundings later," Tony grinned and carded his hands through Peter's curls. 

Pepper pulled the chair over for Tony to get comfortable in while he helped Peter fall back to sleep.  
___ 

"May really wants to see you, bambino." 

"I know, I just need a minute." 

"Sure. You want me to come up with you?" 

"No, Morgan misses you and I should really talk to May alone." 

"You know it's not you who put her in that bed?" Tony felt a little hypocritical considering he had been beating himself over May when he thought he was the one the Green Goblin was after. 

"I know," Peter sounded unsure. "I'm really glad you saved her. Thank you." 

Tony hadn't given Peter the full story, he had simply warned him that May was a bit bandaged up mostly across the right side of her body. 

"I only wish..." Tony chose his next words carefully. "I wish your family didn't have to bear the burden of Norman Osborn."  
___ 

"Hey May," Peter spoke softly. 

"Oh my baby, my sweet baby," May patted the left side of her bed where a chair waited for Peter. He felt bad for putting off visiting May for a few days. He wasn't sure what to expect and he wasn't ready to tell her about Ben yet. 

He sat down and held her hand, "I'm-" 

"No." May interrupted firmly. "I will not have you apologizing for what that awful monster did." 

"Yes ma'am," he squeezed her hand. 

"I saw you climb. Pepper and I watched the news. We would recognize those curls anywhere and we both know Tony wouldn't give his helmet to just anyone. You've saved a lot of people, Peter." 

"Not you. Or... or Ben. I can't seem to do anything right. I got Ben killed for ignoring that robber and I nearly killed you-" 

"Oh I'm sorry, are you the robber?" May asked Peter, who turned away. "Are you a psychopathic green murderer?" 

Peter shook his head. 

"Peter, you can't control the actions of others. You carry so much weight on your shoulders for a 14-year-old," she moved her hand to stroke his face. "I just need you to be safe and happy." 

Peter held her hand on his face for a peaceful moment. "May, I'm 15." 

"Tony paid the government to make tomorrow your birthday." 

"He did not," at least Peter hoped not. He didn't think it was possible, but he wouldn't put it past the eccentric billionaire. 

"No," she grinned. "But we are celebrating tomorrow. I'm being discharged from the Med Bay and I want to see you be a regular kid on your birthday rather than saving the world." 

"It was hardly the world," Peter scoffed. "And I don't think regular kids visit Iron Man on their birthday." 

"Hmmm. Do you think you'll keep doing it? I won't stop you completely, but I also fully support an early retirement." 

"Well, Tony and I talked about taking a break and training before I go back out. I can't imagine completely abandoning Queens, especially with my abilities." 

"Alright, just think about it a little while longer. I want to make sure I can run after you next time you get into too much trouble." 

"Mayyy," he rolled his eyes. 

"I love you, sweetheart." 

"I love you, too," Peter yawned and rested his head by her side, listening to her steady heartbeat.


End file.
